


i picture it soft (and i ache)

by axsun



Series: i'll wait forever (that's what we said) [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi
Genre: /j but only a little, Again, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Mean Lesbian Rangi, SO FLUFFY, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, also i promise im working on other stuff, bc i absolutely adore childhood friends to lovers trope, i just needed to bust this out, incredibly niche memories that i slapped onto rangshi, no beta we die like jianzhu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28953402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axsun/pseuds/axsun
Summary: “We should get married,” Kyoshi says suddenly, rolling over and propping herself up on her arms so she’s eye-level with Rangi, big green eyes bright with excitement.“What?” Rangi says. There must be some grass on her forehead because Kyoshi’s hand comes up to swipe at something on her face, but from the way Kyoshi’s face crinkles when her fingers brush over her eyebrows, Rangi’s probably making an ugly face.“We’re always together,” Kyoshi reasons, “so we should get married. So that we’ll be together forever.”“I don’t wanna marry you,” Rangi says. Kyoshi’s face falls so quickly, she’s never worn a mask and everything she thinks she shows.“Oh,” Kyoshi says quietly. “That’s okay.”(Childhood friends AU, where Kyoshi and Rangi spend their recess together, and Kyoshi proposes.)
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Series: i'll wait forever (that's what we said) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136570
Comments: 17
Kudos: 109





	i picture it soft (and i ache)

**Author's Note:**

> content warning: none.

By all means, Rangi shouldn’t be here, just outside the bounds of the parking lot and on the grass, outside of Jian LaoShi and Kelsang’s line of sight. Mother said specifically she didn’t want her playing with Kyoshi, who doesn’t look people in the eyes and speaks too quietly and sometimes stares off into space daydreaming, because Kyoshi is a bad influence, but if Rangi isn’t with Kyoshi, the stupid girl will probably skin her elbow or trip over her own feet. Rangi has to be with Kyoshi, who is currently laying on the grass and staring up at the sky, to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.

“What’s wrong?” Kyoshi asks.

Her voice is airy and light, and Rangi frowns at the way her heart beats faster. She scuffs her foot at the grass, making sure that even though she kicks up loose dirt and grass, her shoe doesn’t hit Kyoshi.

“You’re gonna get dirt all over you,” Rangi says. “You hate being dirty.”

Kyoshi smiles at her, eyes twinkling in the sunlight. 

“I’m on the grass, not the dirt,” is Kyoshi’s response. “Come lie down with me, we can watch the clouds together.”

“That’s stupid,” Rangi says. “I’d rather watch you.”

At that, Kyoshi laughs, shoulders shaking. There’s a gap in her teeth from her missing tooth, and Rangi’s tongue runs over her own tooth gap unconsciously. 

“Why? To make sure I don’t get dirty?”

Rangi scoffs. “Well, someone has to. Jian LaoShi already got mad at Yun, and he’ll probably yell at you.”

“Just sit with me,” Kyoshi says. “We have a few more minutes. I promise it’s not dirty.”

Huffing, Rangi gets down, crossing her legs and glaring at Kyoshi, who only smiles back at her. 

“I’m not brushing your hair out,” Rangi threatens, “even if there’s dirt and grass all over it. You got yourself all dirty.”

“I’ll brush your hair out if you get grass in it,” Kyoshi says ever so sweetly, and Rangi scowls even harder when Kyoshi smiles that stupid smile.

Kyoshi is too nice. If Rangi weren’t with her right now, Aoma and the other kids would probably be bullying her, and Kyoshi never fights back. Kyoshi, seven years old and already a good few heads taller than everyone else, maybe a little gangly but certainly not defenseless, just keeps her head down and smiles her stupid smile, and Rangi has to come in yelling and punching so everyone will leave her alone. Rangi has to keep her safe, so she has to always be with Kyoshi, but sometimes she wishes Kyoshi would just fight back.

“We should get married,” Kyoshi says suddenly, rolling over and propping herself up on her arms so she’s eye-level with Rangi, big green eyes bright with excitement. 

“What?” Rangi says. There must be some grass on her forehead because Kyoshi’s hand comes up to swipe at something on her face, but from the way Kyoshi’s face crinkles when her fingers brush over her eyebrows, Rangi’s probably making an ugly face.

“We’re always together,” Kyoshi reasons, “so we should get married. So that we’ll be together forever.”

“I don’t wanna marry you,” Rangi says. Kyoshi’s face falls so quickly, she’s never worn a mask and everything she thinks she shows.

“Oh,” Kyoshi says quietly. “That’s okay.”

Rangi’s heart aches at how broken she looks, the way she won’t meet her eyes, and Rangi didn’t mean for it to come out like that, not at all, she doesn’t want Kyoshi to be sad. She presses her lips to the freckle on Kyoshi’s nose, a little clumsy because she doesn’t kiss Kyoshi often, it’s usually Kyoshi who kisses her to cheer her up, and now Rangi wants to cheer Kyoshi up.

“I don’t wanna marry you cause we’re kids,” Rangi says. “Only adults can get married. We can get married when we’re adults.”

Kyoshi perks up at that, rejuvenated by the kiss.

“That’ll be so cool,” Kyoshi says. “I can’t wait to marry you. Would I call you my wife?”

Rangi scoffs at that, but it’s not as harsh as it usually is, and she rolls her eyes in answer.

“I guess so,” Rangi says. “I’d have to call you my wife too.”

Kyoshi butts her head against Rangi’s nose, a playful bump before she rolls back onto her back, a wide grin plastered on her face.

“Come watch the clouds with me, future wife,” Kyoshi says, and her smile is so contagious that Rangi concedes, lying down on the grass next to her, arms brushing as they stare up at the sky together.

“This is boring,” Rangi announces. “They’re just clouds.”

“I think they’re pretty,” Kyoshi says. “Some of them are so fluffy and some of them are so thin. There are so many different clouds.”

“So what?” Rangi says. “They don’t do anything.”

“Kelsang says clouds are made up of water.”

“That’s stupid, why does water float?”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to your future wife.”

“Sorry, future wife.”

“It’s okay, future wife.”

They’re quiet for a bit, Kyoshi humming some sort of song and her fingers intertwining with Rangi’s, and Rangi closes her eyes, imagining being married to Kyoshi. Being with Kyoshi forever. Watching clouds with Kyoshi forever. Protecting Kyoshi from Aoma forever.

Rangi’s okay with that.

There’s a rustling beside her, and Rangi opens her eyes in time to see Kyoshi sit up, her hair falling over her shoulders, grass interlaced with her brown locks and sunlight glinting off the strands.

“I think recess is over now,” Kyoshi says, and she turns back to Rangi. A smile breaks across her face.

“You look so pretty when you aren’t mad at me,” Kyoshi says.

Rangi scowls. “I’m never mad at you.”

“Okay, future wife,” Kyoshi says, and she holds her hand over Rangi’s face before sprinkling blades of grass all over her. Rangi scrunches up her face as the grass tickles her, and Kyoshi giggles.

“You got grass all over me, stupid,” Rangi snaps, sitting up, and Kyoshi smiles that stupid smile.

“Let me help,” she says, and her fingers begin trailing through her hair and delicately plucking out the blades. Rangi’s topknot is loose, she needs to fix it, but Kyoshi never touches it, carefully picking out individual blades with so much grace and care, and when Kyoshi’s done, setting her hands down, Rangi realizes she’s been holding her breath.

“Thanks,” Rangi says. “I can clean your hair now.”

“It’s okay,” Kyoshi says. “Look.”

And she shakes her head, her ponytail swinging wildly from side to side as if she’s able to shake out all the grass stuck in her hair, and Rangi laughs because Kyoshi just looks so silly, and Kyoshi laughs with her.

“You didn’t get any grass out, stupid,” Rangi says. “Let me help you.”

She reaches out and Kyoshi catches her hand midway, standing up and bringing Rangi to her feet as well. Kyoshi is so tall, Rangi barely comes up to her shoulders, and she has to strain her neck to look at Kyoshi’s face.

“We have to go now,” Kyoshi says, “but it’s okay. You have forever to get the grass out of my hair.”

“If I have to keep getting grass out of your hair, I don’t wanna be your future wife.”

They cross the parking lot, Rangi striding as far as she can, but she knows Kyoshi is pacing herself to stay by Rangi’s side, hands still holding each other, and Rangi can almost hear the smile in Kyoshi’s voice.

“I’ll always get grass out of your hair as your future wife,” Kyoshi replies.

Rangi musters up as much annoyance in her voice as possible, but the tight feeling in her chest rises into her throat and instead she says, “For as long as you live?”

Kyoshi’s hand brushes hers, nails gently running along her palm as they duck back into the school building.

“For as long as I live.”

**Author's Note:**

> i promise i'm working on illuminated by moon and fire + the high school prequel to that series, i just had this very vivid memory of my old after school daycare located behind this sketchy ass building and where we didn't have a playground so it was just a parking lot and some grass and i had to bust this out. i am so tired. i haven't slept before 5 this past month.  
> anyways. enjoy baby rangshi. idk the context to this au. um. have a nice day and stay hydrated <3 thanks for sticking around gamers


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